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Ethan McLeod was walking home from school in Saint John when he saw his elderly neighbour scrubbing graffiti off her wall with soapy water and a pot scraper.

After helping her remove the paint he decided it didn't have to stop there.

So McLeod and a group of university students started a graffiti removal program in the city’s south end and they're asking residents to let them know what needs cleaning.

"It's satisfying because, you know, you feel like you're accomplishing something because the end result is a nice, pristine wall," he said.

Council is waiting on a report looking at other ways to curb graffiti, but in the meantime residents and property owners can report vandalism to the South End Community Centre and McLeod and crew will show up with a pressure washer.

The city already has an eradication program in place, but it's voluntary and owners have to pay for the removal.

At the community centre, Mary LeSage says McLeod's volunteer work is helping stop the problem in their neighbourhood.

"We find once we see it, we get rid of it, and the chance of it coming back is less likely the quicker we get it off," she said.

McLeod said he’s hoping to expand the program into the city's high schools.